Telephone-key.



2 Sheets-Sheet.

Patented Mar. 5 E. E. YAXLEY & C. C. CADDEN.

TELEPHONE KEY. I (Application filed Sept. 22, 1899. Renewed Jan. 5,1901.)

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No. 669,47l; Patented Mar. 5, mm. E. E. YAXLEY 8'. C. C. CADDEN.

TELEPHONE KEY. (Application filed Sept. 22, 1899 Renewed Jan. 5, 1901.)

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ERNEST E. YAXLEY AND CHARLES C. CADDEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AS-

SIGNORS TO THE VICTOR TELEPHONE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF

SAME PLACE.

TELEPHONE-KEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters fatent No. 669,471, dated March 5,1901.

Application filed September 22, 1899. Renewed January 5, 1901. SerialNo. 42,256. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that we,ERNEsT E. YAXLEYand CHARLES C. CADDEN, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Telephone- Keys,of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in the class of key devicesemployed on telephone-switchboards for ringing up and speaking tosubscribers, and commonly located on u the hinged lid of the tableportion of a switchboard.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan View of ourimproved key device; Fig. 2, a section taken at the line A on Fig. l andviewed in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3, a section taken at theline B on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 4, a topplan view of the key de vice; Fig. 5, a section taken at the line C onFig. 1 viewed in the direction of the arrow and. enlarged, and Fig. 6 adiagram of the circuits in which our improved key device is employed.

The body a of the key device, as shown, is composed of a rectangularplate of insulating material, as hard rubber, faced on its under sidewith alatera1ly-flanged metal plate carrying at opposite sides of itstransverse center blocksb b, of insulating material, each containing atransverse row of slots, shown as three in number, for retaining the contacts hereinafter described, each slot in one block coinciding. with aslot in the other block. In a metal thimble c, lining an opening formedthrough the body at its center, is pivotally supported to adapt it to beturned on its pivot lengthwise of the body a metal key d, having aknob eof insulating material on its outer end and rollers ff of insulatingmaterial (hard rubber) journaled at opposite sides of its inner-end. Inan opening through the body (1, adjacent to the key d, is contained adepressible or push key g, of insulating material, carrying a stop h tolimit its outward throw.

In the threeslots of one of the blocks 19 are confined, respectively,the three upper spring-metal contact-strips 't', j, and k. In

the slots of this same block are also confined and insulatedbyspaciug-strips from the upper contacts the three intermediatespringmetal contact-strips I, m, and 11, shown downwardly bent at theirouter ends, the strips Z and m being downwardly curved toward their'inner ends to enable the rollers of the key d the better to ride uponthem. The con tact-strip 01, projects at its straight inner endunderneath the keyg. In the same slots are also confined and insulatedby spacing-strips from the intermediate contacts the three spring-metalcontacts 0, p, and q, shown downwardly bent at theirouter ends andupturned at their inner ends, where they respectively meet the contactsl m n.

In one of the three slots in the block 1), near the opposite end of thebody a, is confined a contact-strip 0", like and coincident with thestrip 7.". and projecting under the key g. Below the plane of the striprin the three slots are the contact-strips s, t, and u, like andcoinciding, respectively, with the strips 0, m, and n, and below thestrips 3 t u in the respective slots and insulated from them areconfined the strips v, w, and 90, like and respeotively coinciding withthe strips 0]) q.

The several contact-strips in each block b are confined in place by aninsulating-strip y, extending across the base of the block transverselyof the slots and covered by a metal strip 2, fastened by nuts on screwspassing through the retaining-stripsinto the block.

With the key (1, which forms the listening and ringing-up key in theinoperative vertical position in which it is shown and in which it isyieldingly held by the curved ends of the spring-contact strips, betweenwhich it extends, the intermediate strips 1 m on the ringing-up side ofthe device contact at their inner ends with the adjacent ends of thestrips t'jabove them, and the strip u then also contacts at its innerend with the strip 1- above it, while the strips 0 and p are out ofcontact with the strips Z and m above them, and the strips 2) and w aresimilarly out of contact with the strips 8 and 15 above them.

The key 9 is the ring-back key and bears always against the inner endsof the contactstrips n and it, which are normally out of contact withthe strips q and w, re-

spectively, below them to be brought into contact with them bydepressing the key.

By turning the key d on its pivot against the inner ends of the strips 8t, Where it stays (and which is its normal position) to contact them,respectively, with the strips '0 w, the operators listening-circuit isclosed, and by turning it in the opposite direction against the innerends of the strips Zm, whence they spring it back when released to thevertical inoperative position, it contacts them, respectively, with thestrips 0 p to close the operators ringing-up or calling circuit.

In the use of our improved device the two upper contact-strips i j arerespectively connected with the strips .9 t, which are connected withthe strips 70 and r, and the strips n and u are connected with theoperators answering-plug. The contact-strips Z m are connected with theoperators calling-plug, and the strips 0 19 are connected with theringing-generator. The contact-strips o w are connected with theoperators set. The strip 70 is connected with the stripj, and the stripr is connected with the strip 41. Each of the strips 'n and u isconnected with the operators answering-plug, and each of the strips (1and 0c is connected with the ringinggenerator for connection with theoperators answering-plug.

The circuit connections are traced in Fig. 6 as follows, with most ofthe contact-strips of our key device represented by arrowpoints: Fromone side of the ringing-generator (indicated at 1) leads a wire 2,having a branch 22, connected at one end with the strip at 0 and at itsopposite end with the strip q. The operators calling-plug (indicated at3) is connected from one side by a wire 4 with the strip Z and from itsopposite side by a wire 5 with the strip m. A wire 6 connects the strips1' and k with the strip 8. The operators set (indicated at 7) isconnected from one side by a wire 18 with the strip 1; and from itsopposite side by a wire 9 with the strip 25. A wire 10 connects thestripj and the strip 0 of the ring-back circuit with the strip 25. Theoperators answering-plug (indicated at 12) is connected from one side bya wire 13 with the strip at and from its opposite side by a wire 14 withthe strip a. From the opposite side of the generator 1 leads a wire 15,having a branch 23, connected at one end with the strip 10 and at itsopposite end with the strip a).

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a key device for telephone-switchboards, the combination of a leverterminating at one end in rollers ofinsulating material, and con--tact-strips placed horizontally in groups on opposite sides of saidlever, the group on one side consisting of two spring-contact stripshaving their free ends curved downward and extending in the path of saidrollers, contactstrips arranged above and insulated from but normally incontact with said spring-contact strips, and contact-strips below saidspringcontact strips, insulated from and normally out of contact withthem, and the group on the opposite side consisting of two springcontactstrips having their free ends curved downward and extending into thepath of said rollers, and contact-strips below the lastnamedspring-contact strips and insulated from them, whereby turning the leverin one direction actuates one group causing two contacts to be brokenand two to be completed, and turning the lever in the opposite directioncauses two contacts to be made.

ERNEST E. YAXLEY. CHARLES C. CADDEN.

In presence of-' R. I. SPENCER, D. W. LEE.

